Poli 007 Spring 2015: U.S. Foreign Policy, Quiz #4
This is all about the State Department. I used to work there, so don't mess this quiz up.
- 1.A junior Foreign Service Officer (Economic Section) at the US Embassy in Angola has a great idea: U.S. debt relief for Angola to stimulate growth there. Based on what you have learned about the State Department, which of the following is not an obstacle she would face in attempting to advance this idea?
- A.
There are no bureaus in the State Department in Washington that deal with economic affairs
- B.
She is junior and the State Department is a very hierarchical organization
- C.
It would take forever to implement because of the cumbersome clearance process
- D.
Policy is formulated in Washington and not at overseas posts
- E.
She may not understand economics well because of the focus on generalists
- 2.What might the following kind of Foreign Service Officer say at Embassy Bangkok happy hour following a long, hard day at work: Consular Officer
- A.
Dude, that American I visited in jail today was so f&*&^ up
- B.
Man, I wrote seven cables and delivered four demarches today
- C.
I am so tired from running a three-hour section chiefs' meeting today
- D.
Oh yeah, check this out: I am POTUS' personal representative in Thailand
- E.
For real? Well I selected seven Fulbright scholars today
- 3.What might the following kind of Foreign Service Officer say at Embassy Bangkok happy hour following a long, hard day at work: Political Officer
- A.
Dude, that American I visited in jail today was so f&*&^ up
- B.
Man, I wrote seven cables and delivered four demarches today
- C.
I am so tired from running a three-hour section chiefs' meeting today
- D.
Oh yeah, check this out: I am POTUS' personal representative in Thailand
- E.
For real? Well I selected seven Fulbright scholars today
- 4.How might things have been different in Iraq or Afghanistan if the State Department had enjoyed a greater role (instead of the military)?
- A.
An emphasis on diplomacy and negotiation might have produced settlements that kept that insurgents at bay
- B.
Reconstruction and aid programs might have been better delivered by diplomats and USAID experts rather than soldiers
- C.
Both of these
- D.
Neither of these
- E.
For real? Well I selected seven Fulbright scholars today
- 5.In his article on the consequences of the Benghazi attacks, Robert Worth interviews many current and former State Department diplomats who:
- A.
Worry that the pendulum has swung too far in the direction of security over mission
- B.
Express concern about political appointments and their effect on diplomatic operations
- C.
Lament Congress' unwillingness to augment the State Department's budget
- D.
Criticize the Obama administration for focusing too much on the military
- E.
For real? Well I selected seven Fulbright scholars today
- 6.What might the following kind of Foreign Service Officer say at Embassy Bangkok happy hour following a long, hard day at work: Public Diplomacy Officer
- A.
Dude, that American I visited in jail today was so f&*&^ up
- B.
Man, I wrote seven cables and delivered four demarches today
- C.
I am so tired from running a three-hour section chiefs' meeting today
- D.
Oh yeah, check this out: I am POTUS' personal representative in Thailand
- E.
For real? Well I selected seven Fulbright scholars today
- 7.Which of the following positions/units/bureaus/etc is NOT part of the State Department (i.e. reports indirectly or directly to the Secretary of State)?
- A.
USAID
- B.
Voice of America (VOA)
- C.
Desk officer/country director for Mongolia
- D.
CIA Station Chief in Beijing
- E.
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arms Control and Nonproliferation
- 8.Which of the following is not a reason that Presidents have increasingly turned to agencies like the DoD, CIA, and NSS to formulate and implement foreign policy over the State Department's "head"?
- A.
A revolution in information technology has reduced the importance of the State Department's reporting function
- B.
Resistance to change and bureaucratic inertia
- C.
9-11 and the war on terror necessitated tools that empowered other agencies
- D.
State Department is to slow to respond to fast-moving events in the world
- E.
None of the above (i.e. all are valid reasons for State Department decline)
- 9.What do we mean when we say that the State Department is weak in part because it has no domestic "constituency"?
- A.
Unlike the DoD, the State Department does not make things at home and many people thus are not connected to it and do not understand or see the value in supporting diplomacy: this includes members of Congress
- B.
State Department officials are not elected and therefore do not represent the American people
- C.
The vast majority of State Department officers come from coastal cities and thus do not understand the heartland
- D.
None of the above
- 10.Diplomatic cables, like the ones you saw on Wikileaks, contain all of the following except:
- A.
Analysis of politics and events in foreign countries
- B.
Reports of conversations with foreign leaders
- C.
Details about U.S. intelligence operations
- D.
Instructions from Washington to embassies around the world
- E.
Reports on embassy activities and operations
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